Shortcuts in Search. Google rolls out Tappable Shortcuts

Starting today in the U.S., Google is introducing tappable shortcuts on the Google app for Android and iOS and Google.com on the mobile web that give you easy access to many tools and the ability to explore deeper within topics you care about. 

Getting up-to-the-minute info is as easy as a single tap. With shortcuts right on the home screen, you now have access to in-depth experiences across sports, eat & drink, entertainment and weather

Android users will find many useful shortcuts like—translate, nearby attractions, flights, hotels, internet speed test, currency converter, and more. And , if you’re looking for fun, there are shortcuts like tic-tac-toe, roll a die, animal sounds, solitaire, and " I'm feeling curious".

You can tap into news, trailers and reviews that are relevant for you or swipe through listings to catch up on your favorite show.

Similarly on sports, whether you love basketball, hockey or football, now you don’t need to type anything when you want the latest scores. Just tap into game times, scores and team news.

Tap the weather shortcut and be ready for the day before you walk out the door. You’ll have access to updated information every time you tap—from hourly sky conditions and chance of rain, severe weather alerts, a detailed 10-day forecast, and more. 

To find the most timely and recently used shortcuts, make sure your Google app is updated to the latest version and then look for your shortcuts right underneath the search box. 

Amazon is rolling out Alexa inside the Amazon App for iPhones

Amazon is bringing its intelligent personal assistant Alexa to the iPhone right inside of the Amazon app.

There will be a microphone icon near the top of the screen Inside the Amazon App for iOS.

You can press that microphone icon to call up Alexa. You’ll be able to ask the assistant almost anything you’d normally be able to ask through a device like the amazon Echo. 

i-e You can ask it to make purchases for you, look up facts, or control smart home products.

But still there is a major difference between Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa. Since Siri is built-in with the operating system we can talk to siri without opening any app, but for speaking with Amazon Alexa, we have to open the Amazon App first.

Amazon says this new feature begins rolling out today and should be available to all US users by next week.

Ultrashort light pulses for fast 'lightwave' computers

Extremely short, configurable "femtosecond" pulses of light demonstrated by an international team could lead to future computers that run up to 100,000 times faster than today's electronics.

The researchers, including engineers at the University of Michigan, showed that they could control the peaks within the laser pulses and also twist the light.

The method moves electrons faster and more efficiently than electrical currents—and with reliable effects on their quantum states. It is a step toward so-called "lightwave electronics" and, in the more distant future, quantum computing